1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Benji Dial #26 Vintage Base Card Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Description

1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Benji Dial #26 Vintage Base Card Winnipeg Blue Bombers The 1971 O-Pee-Chee CFL Benji Dial #26 Vintage Base Card Winnipeg Blue Bombers is a colorful piece of quarterback history from a fascinating period of professional football. The front shows Dial in the Winnipeg Blue Bombers uniform, framed by the bold red O-Pee-Chee design with the team name, football emblem, and quarterback position prominently displayed. The portrait format, large lettering, and saturated blue and red colors give the card strong shelf appeal, whether it is being added to a Winnipeg team collection or displayed as part of a vintage CFL football group. This original single card comes from the 1971 Canadian O-Pee-Chee set and is not a modern reprint. The reverse identifies the player as an import, lists Eastern New Mexico University, and gives a listed size of approximately 6 feet 1 inch and 205 pounds. The card states that this was Dial’s second season with the Bombers and that he had joined Winnipeg midway through the previous season. It also references his connection with the Washington Redskins of the NFL. Benji Dial is frequently recorded in football histories as Benjy Dial, and his professional path included the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, Philadelphia Eagles, several minor league teams, Washington, and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. At Eastern New Mexico, he established a strong passing reputation and was later inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame in 2001. During his Winnipeg years he appeared in multiple games as a quarterback, and his 1970 season included 597 passing yards with both passing and rushing production. These details make the card especially interesting for collectors who enjoy quarterbacks with careers that crossed the NFL, minor professional leagues, and the CFL. The back also shows the bilingual presentation that distinguishes this Canadian issue. This is a Canadian O-Pee-Chee bilingual back, not a puzzle back. It contains English and French text, a cartoon football illustration, card number, player measurements, school, position, career note, O-Pee-Chee branding, and Printed in Canada wording. The supplied images show no clear crease, wrinkle, or major indentation. The upper corners are intact with light softening and small white flecks, while the lower corners show modest rounding and light whitening. The front red border has scattered tiny print loss, fine hairline marks, and mild chipping along the lower and side edges. The portrait remains clear, and the Blue Bombers lettering is strong. The reverse has normal vintage toning, minor speckling, and light edge roughness without obvious writing or severe staining. Centering appears approximately 54/46 left to right and near 50/50 vertically. Some fine lines may be reflections or marks on the protective sleeve used for the scan. The visible corner and edge wear supports an honest raw Excellent estimate. Grade Estimate: EX 5